Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Kelvin Lam Hin San has revealed that as of August 20 (Sunday last week), the daily average number of public bus passengers this year had returned to around 98 percent of the level recorded in 2019, the pre-COVID-19 pandemic year.
Lam made the remarks during a press conference on Friday after chairing a regular meeting of the government-appointed Traffic Consultative Council at his bureau.
Between January 1 and August 20 this year, according to Lam, the city recorded a daily average of around 610,000 public bus passengers, while the daily average number of passengers stood at around 627,000 in 2019.
As of August 20, Macau saw this year’s highest daily number of public bus passengers on June 23, at around 660,000, Lam said.
Lam also underlined that his bureau has required the city’s two public bus companies to operate a sufficient number of buses in preparation for the commencement of the new 2023/24 school year on Friday, September 1.
New energy buses ‘significantly’ reduce emissions
Lam also pointed out that since the two public bus operators’ new service contracts took effect in 2021, more and more diesel-powered buses have been replaced by new energy vehicles. Currently, Lam noted, the two public bus companies have a total of 666 new energy buses in operation, accounting for around 63 percent of all public buses.
According to DSAT data available on its website, at the end of June the two public bus operators had a total of 1,064 buses, of which 666 were new energy vehicles.
The 666 new energy vehicles comprise 50 natural gas buses and 616 extended-range electric buses, according to the DSAT data.
According to the DSAT data, the two public bus operators had 56 extended-range e-buses in 2021, while the number increased to 416 last year.
Lam underlined that the level of emissions produced by public buses in the city have now “significantly” dropped thanks to the gradual replacement of diesel buses with new energy ones.
Lam also said that the two public bus operators are scheduled to purchase 200 more extended-range e-buses at the end of this year.
The two public bus operators’ six-year-long new contracts, which took effect on January 1, 2021, will expire at the end of December 2026.
The contracts require the two public bus companies to replace all large-sized and mega-sized buses with new energy ones by August 1, next year.
According to the contracts, which were published in the Official Gazette (BO) in September 2020, large-sized public buses refer to those with a length of at least 10.5 metres but lower than 13.5 metres, while mega-sized public buses refer to those with a length of at least 13.5 metres.
Passengers catch a TCM No. 101X route public bus at Praça de Ferreira do Amaral last night. – Photo: Tony Wong
Transport Bureau (DSAT) Director Kelvin Lam Hin San addresses Friday’s press conference at his bureau after chairing a closed-door meeting of the Traffic Consultative Council. – Photo courtesy of TDM
